


she remembers waking up with her mind repaired (she remembers when she realized he wasn't there)

by fairyficwrites



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Dead Link (Legend of Zelda), Gen, Original Character(s), Runaway Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Violence, and i mean FAST, angst? yea theres that, because im a little shit and youre gonna deal with it, eventually probably, fluff? eh, geography is changed i didnt really pick s specific game, gonna update tags as i go, its all aspects smashed into one and my own touch of "winging it", just cause i need some background characters and other people, like lots we're gonna see zelda kicking ass, like she deserves, man this is gonna be a trip, pls keep in mind this strays from any and all canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:41:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23726257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairyficwrites/pseuds/fairyficwrites
Summary: Zelda didn't think things could go so horribly wrong. Until they did.
Comments: 18
Kudos: 10





	1. the first to fall

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trying my best but I've never written a fic before so please bear with me on this-

A bright light caused Zelda to wince as it filled her vision. She looked around painfully, trying to remember what happened in recent hours. Last she remembered, Ganon had broken into the cabin and was fighting Link. Zelda couldn’t hear any fighting, so she assumed the fight had ended. 

Slowly, the princess stood up. That’s when she noticed the bloodied sword she was clutching in her hand. She held it with such a deadly grip, her knuckles were turning white. Zelda walked out of the room, beginning to wonder what could have happened. Of course, Link must have won, but why would she be holding a bloodied sword?

She walked into another room and observed the scene. Tables were flipped over, vases of flowers were shattered and surrounded by puddles and dying flowers. Curtains were torn, and cabinet doors were flung from the walls. It was a mess, but there was one thing that stuck out to her. A scene of red and blue she couldn’t quite focus on. She stepped closer and used the sword in her hand to push aside a torn curtain covering the scene, letting out a shocked gasp.

Suddenly, the pieces all fell into place before her own eyes.

Lying in front of her was Link’s limp body, an expression of fear frozen on his face. His hands were clutched to his bloody tunic, and the Master Sword was lying next to him. Zelda dropped the bloodied sword in disbelief, her hands fluttering to her mouth. It couldn’t be. There was no way. 

A deep laugh rumbled from the corner, and her eyes flew to see the source. Ganon stepped forward, a menacing grin on his face. Zelda’s eyes flashed into a glare as she stared down the intruder.

“What did you do to him?” Her voice shook. With rage or sorrow, she wasn’t sure. She picked up the Master Sword from Link’s side and held it in front of her with both hands. “What did you do to Link?” She asked again, the shake of her voice replaced with a fierce and demanding shout.

Ganon shook his head slightly and stepped closer to Zelda. “Oh, you silly princess. What makes you so certain I did anything? How can you be sure this wasn’t your doing? After all, who is it that truly holds the blade?”

Zelda stumbled back at the statement, her arms falling to her sides. She held the Master Sword tightly in her hand as Ganon continued to speak.

“Anything can happen in a moment of blind rage. You can lose control. You can give yourself up to darker forces. You can open yourself up to the influence of evil entities. Sometimes you forget who you are and who-”

“Shut up!” The princess had heard enough of him. She got what he was saying. She didn’t know how or why, but this was her doing. Link was dead because of her. It really was her fault, and Ganon appeared to be pleased with the look on her face as she placed the pieces together in her head. Zelda stood there, her eyes wide and her free and covering her mouth. She shook her head slowly, tears beginning to flood from her eyes.

“No! No, you’re lying! I would never, could never! Not to anyone, especially Link.”   
Ganon didn’t say more, he just smiled and disappeared out the door. 

Immediately, Zelda dropped the sword at her feet and rushed to Link’s side. She lifted his head into her lap and repeatedly muttered apologies.

She had done this. As much as she wished to deny it, she knew it was true. How could she ever go back to her father, knowing she had killed the champion. 

The princess sat there, tears streaming down her face as she held Link’s cold body close to her chest. She sat there for what must have been hours before she stood up, grabbing the Master Sword and wiping the tears from her eyes. Zelda knew what she had to do.

In Link’s bedroom, she found an empty over-the-shoulder bag. She picked it up and put a few sets of clothes and some bread inside. Using the master sword, she cut her hair down to shoulder length, then made her way to a pond nearby. Zelda quickly used a cloth to wipe the blood off her face and arms, but her clothes were out of luck. As one last task, she ran back inside to where Link’s body laid and grabbed the belt and Sheikah Slate from around his waist, moving it to her own. 

With everything that she could think to need, she set out into the woods surrounding the cabin.   
It would only be a week before someone would begin to worry about the whereabouts of the two of them. It wouldn’t take long for them to check the cabin and find Link there and Zelda was just gone. 

She had to get as far as she could before that happened. No one could know what happened here. No one could find out what she had done.


	2. a world of trouble

Zelda marched through the woods, the Master Sword heavy against her back. It had been a few days since she ran from the cabin, and the only short breaks she had taken were a few hours here and there to rest her feet. 

The sleep she had gotten was minimal. Everytime she closed her eyes, she saw him. His dead eyes and her own bloody hands. She heard Ganon's laugh as he watched her realize the truth. Every second was a nightmare, each more so than the last. She questioned her actions with every step, wondering if she would be better off turning herself in now. Was she really a murderer, even if she had no recollection of her actions?

Whenever her thoughts started getting loud like this, she would find the nearest body of water and dunk her head in. It wasn't the most efficient process, but it worked. The shocking cold of the water on her face was enough to distract her from even the loudest claims.

Soon, the seventh day came. It had been a week since she left, and Zelda didn't have the slightest clue where she was. The moon was high in the sky, stars twinkling all around. The night was colder than usual, a bitterness filled the air with a bite. The princess found a spot to sit under a tree and set her things down. A number of sticks were scattered around, so she gathered them up and used the Master Sword against a rock to start a small fire. 

She heard the roar of a nearby river and stood up with the Master Sword, making her way over. Zelda swiftly caught a small fish and brought it back to her fire to cook up. She couldn't have a real meal very often, so she knew to savor it. After this, it would likely be nothing but bread for a few more days. 

When she had finished eating, she tossed the scraps aside, which a bird almost instantly claimed as its own. She sat by that fire for hours, not daring to fall asleep. Once the sun finally began to appear over the mountains, she put out her fire and continued walking. If she was lucky, there was a chance she'd make it to a nearby village before sundown. It was a village outside of her father's reign, and they would likely not recognize her. At least, not with her hair cut so short and being dressed the way she was.

Zelda went back to the river where she had caught the fish and used the water to splash her face and wake up. Then, gripping the strap of her bag tightly, she continued along the river. 

It led straight north, straight to a village she could remember being known for its good use of water. Farming, fishing, any use you could think of. The people of this village did it all. However, the name of it escaped her mind, as not much time was spent on it in any classes she took or books she read. The village was small and barely recognizable to anyone.

After several hours of walking, stopping only once to drink some water from the river, she saw the village in the distance. It would take her maybe 30 more minutes to get there, and then she would get to rest. To properly rest. Maybe even have a full meal. 

With newfound motivation, she trekked onward, gaining more hope as the village got closer.

Before she got there, Zelda thought to cover the Master Sword. She grabbed a large piece of cloth from her bag, which she had brought for this exact reason, and wrapped the sword up. She then put it back across her back and continued to the village.

First, she came across orchards. Apple trees, pear trees, cherry trees. The smell was one of the best things she had witnessed in the previous week. After that, there were small fields with scattered houses. Maybe 3 or 4 small ones for those that worked the farms. Further into the village, she began to see people and buildings.

A young girl ran past her, followed by a boy who appeared a bit older. They both had dark skin and even darker hair, both with it done up in loose braids of flowers and feathers. An older woman stood in the doorway of a house, holding a basket of vegetables. She looked fairly similar to the children, but her hair was streaked with gray and filled with more feathers and flowers than both the children. Zelda watched as the woman waved and began to approach her.

"Well, hello, darling. Awfully young for a traveler, are you not?" The woman smiled and waited for a response. When Zelda didn't say anything, she continued on. "I'm Rylla, and those kids that ran past you were my niece and nephew, Meyra and Fyrnn. You must have been traveling for quite some time to have made it this far. Would you like something to eat? We have plenty to offer."

The princess nodded with a smile she had practiced to not look as forced as it was. "That would be lovely, Rylla. Thank you." 

Zelda followed Rylla inside her home and was in awe at the amount of color the interior held. Most villages, especially of this size, only had items consisting of natural colors like browns and greens. However, the decoration of this house was filled with purples, reds, and yellows. The entire spectrum of color must have been represented in some way inside just this one room.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? I used to travel a lot too before I decided to settle down back here, where I was born. These are all tapestries and dishes from places I went. Souvenirs, if you will." Rylla set her basket of vegetables down on a table with an orange and blue pattern. She grabbed a large china bowl painted with a rainbow of flowers and other plants around the outside. "I got this one in a village just east of here. It was the last place I visited before coming to stay here." She held it out, and Zelda took it gently.

"It's lovely. I haven't seen anything like it in so long. Do you ever use these souvenir dishes?"

Rylla let out a soft laugh as Zelda handed the bowl back to her. "Oh, absolutely not! A used dish loses its value, its charm. I keep them on display over here." Rylla beckoned for Zelda to follow her as she walked to a large cabinet with glass doors. Inside were dozens of dishes, all beautifully painted. Each one showed a different style with different colors and patterns. They all must have been from a different village and taken years to collect.

The princess stood in awe as Rylla left to call Meyra and Fyrnn in for what must have been dinner. A number of the dishes were ones she recognized. She had seen similar, if not identical, patterns in books. She even had her own set of some of them at the castle. However, she had used hers. She never once thought of them as something to be collected and displayed, but the idea seemed quite appealing to her.

"Dear, are you going to be joining us?"

Zelda turned to see Rylla standing in the doorway with a smile. Zelda put on her smile once more and nodded, following to the table at which the children were already seated.

The family said a quick prayer to the goddess Nayru and began to eat. Zelda couldn't bring herself to eat much more than some bread and fruit, but that seemed to be enough to please Rylla.

By the time they had finished eating, it was already late. Rylla offered Zelda a guest bedroom, and she took it for the night.

She would be leaving in the morning, but she knew she needed rest. 

She stayed in the bed, staring at the walls for hours. She tried to stay up, but eventually she fell asleep.

Eventually, she fell into her dream. The sight of Link, battered and bloody. 

From the sight alone, she woke up.

And almost immediately after she did, she heard the screams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is dedicated to the person that sent me fanart literally not even 5 hours after I posted the first chapter-  
> because ngl I was probably gonna lose motivation and drop this fic  
> but thank you. it means so much more than you know  
> and also gave me a lot of motivation to write this asap so tadaaa new update already!!


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